The Comic Book Economy

I recently bought a pile of old comics at a garage sale. The ads seem so familiar but seem so eager and absurd now. Work selling Grit to earn money to buy giant glow in the dark monsters. It seemed perhaps the irrational exuberance of the "new economy" might just have sprung form a generation weaned on the breathless offers in Comic Books. I mean if a company can make money selling Polaris subs for $6.98 why couldn't pets.com or Boo.com have worked out?